I feel like this place deserves a little love because it is such a nice place to study/get work done. The spots along the wall have outlets to charge and I can usually find a good seat even during busier hours. They have wifi but there's also CalVisitor as well which is nice. Their bagel sandwiches are actually delicious. I consistently order the lox bagel (#10) or the breakfast egg sandwich (3). Can't say too much for the drinks as I have only ordered the vietnamese iced coffee and thai tea (both on the sweeter side) but I would come here just for the good value sandwiches. read more

They have plenty of seating if you were to come here and a study/work and a good vibe if you are looking for a place to work. The coffee shop is located downtown-ish near a good area of foot traffic (even on a Friday night). They have all the typical coffee shop orders and then some with GF and vegan options. Perfectly grasps the Berkley vibe. The lady at the counter was pleasant and courteous. I stopped by so a friend could get some coffee before an event we were attending. read more

Royal Ground Coffee House is a nice open air/open door coffee house. seems roomy, that's all. brew: sumatra medium roast(2) -didn't taste smooth, dense, heavy guess i wanted a smooth brew, surprised med. roast not smooth. drips: -quick, friendly, cordial service. read more

I was jonesing for a dish of ice cream on a hot spring night, so I came in here and saw their freezer case of Dreyer's. It looked a bit soupy so I asked the surly young man behind the counter for a taste -- he gave me a spoonful of melted ice cream. I ended up getting a dish of very very soft rocky road, but here's why I'm posting a review that deserves "useful" points: if that ice cream was melted on May 16, well, then, by the time summer rolls around and YOU get a scoop, it will have refrozen and become all grainy and gross. Oh and BTW they charge up the wazoo for wi-fi. read more

Chocolate muffin w/ cheesecake filling = very yummy. Cost $2.25. I really liked studying here as a Berkeley student because it was spacious and there were a lot of outlets to plug in my laptop. It is also quiet and peaceful. The pastries were yummy although slightly pricey. Overall, this was one of my favorite places to study compared to other places like Starbucks and the library. :) read more

First things I noticed: Big and wide sized tables for good studying space Natural lighting differentiates this place Mariah Carey in the background ? Heckyea The veggie omelet sandwich I had was pretty tasty. Very light and healthy on wheat bread. It cost about $5 There's nothing crazy amazing about this place but I like it :) read more

Royal Ground Coffee House - Veggie omelet sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Favorite spot to work/study! They have plenty of seating and a good atmosphere if you are looking for a place to work. Every time I have been here, there has been seating and wall outlets available. The location is great; about a 10 minute walk from downtown Berkeley and campus. While it is not right by campus like other cafes, I feel like you get the benefit of having a guaranteed space. I have found that most cafes right by campus are usually packed. Their facilities are very clean, both the cafe and the restroom. I also like how they usually have the door open to get a breeze of fresh air. I usually get the house brew which is ok and affordable. read more

This place is god-awful. Worst chai latte e-v-e-r. I don't understand how you can make a bland AND spicy AND watery chai latte. That just doesn't make any sense. read more

Food: drinks are mediocre but there's a great variety of sandwiches. I always get some variation of the breakfast/brunch sandwiches and they're decent, like what you would be able to make at home. There's a variety of bread to choose from (french, wheat, bagel etc.) for the sandwiches and they're freshly assembled. They also have a wall full of cases of different types of coffee beans for purchase. Price/Quality/Quantity: decent pricing for what you get, filling proportions, coffee is alright Atmosphere: rows of tables, less of an independent cafe but more of a study lounge vibe, which brings me to: usually filled with people studying (p.s. Airbears2 is available for berkeley students) Service: very friendly staff and they call your order when it's ready for pickup at the counter Parking: street/no lot, downtown berkeley parking (good luck) read more

Royal Ground Coffee House - breakfast sandwich (subbed bagel for wheat) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

With all the unique cafes in Berkeley, this one is just "ok". A few things that stand out: Pros: - Vegan cookies! Surprising. - Plenty of self-serve creams, tap water, syrups - Sugar-free Torani syrups (irish cream, hazelnut, wanilla, caramel) if that's your thing - free WIFI, somewhat reliable, not fast not slow - Food and cafe offerings if you plan to study for a long time (spanning a few meals) - Long rows of wood tables = easier to find a seat Cons/ just ok... - Atmosphere: kinda loud (it's right on Shattuck, and on a warm day the doors are wide open to street noise) - On a scale of 1-10, dirty to clean... maybe a 3? - Prices are fair but not a steal (e.g., $1.75 for house coffee) - Quality of drinks is just OK. Don't expect Philz coffee. - A lot of glare from the sun. Cafe faces west, so even with the shades down you'll still get that bright blinding sun later in the day. - Can get pretty warm/ stuffy - Service is somewhat slow, although very polite. read more

I'm writing this review as I'm sitting here which I find kind of funny but anyways, I digress. I'm no coffee expert by any means but this has got to be some of the worst coffee I've ever had. I've tried the iced coffee and latte and they both taste watered down and just a little off. Maybe it's the beans or something but I just do not like the taste one bit. Price wise, it's your typical Berkeley coffee shop price so $3.75 for a medium latte, and they have a $3 card minimum which is easily reached with any of their espresso drinks. The reason I'm giving another star is because of the sheer size and amount of tables in this place. Every time that I've been here, I always manage to get a seat on the sides where the outlets are. Weekends are more crowded than weekday evenings but it's never usually full, which is perfect for college kids or if I need a place to camp out for a few hours on my laptop. The wifi is actually pretty good and I've had no problems with it so far. I love that there are big glass windows so there's natural light and you get a sense of what time it is. The owners seem really nice too so it pains me to give them such a meh review. From other reviews, I'm definitely willing to give the food a try next time! TL;DR: Come if you want somewhere to camp out for a while but if you're looking for good (or event decent) coffee, this is not the place for you. read more

Have gone here few times ordering lox bagel for myself and bf usually gets 2 other bagels with coffee, which have always been ok- standard. However, this morning, we just wanted to get a coffee. Asked for a medium coffee in a large cup, since we wanted room for milk with a medium amount of coffee. Lady at the cashier wouldn't allow it and said "you pay price of cup" so charged us for a large. It's honestly not even about the money, but the cheapness from her end - like, we come here often enough and yet you're being stingy on a cup/quarter difference? Not like the coffee is anything amazing. We just didn't care for this so left - perhaps we weren't having it this morning, but still, come on, really? Two stars because food other times is alright. read more

This place is decent, but I usually only go when CAL Berkeley students are away, otherwise, you'll never find a seat because students park here and don't move. It's even packed on the weekends when students take over. This place is on the corner and has huge windows so its nice and bright, with lots of tables and bench seating. The food is cafe fare, nothing exciting or exceptional . They serve bagels, with 20 options, sandwiches and pastries and desserts from purveyors. The drip coffee is okay but I like their espresso drinks more. One thing I think is tacky is the last time I went there I bought a latte for over three dollars and wanted a bit more coffee, so I asked for a refill of drip coffee in the same mug and they actually charged me the FULL price, PLUS tax for a refill. Most cafes will give you a break for a refill drink. That pretty much sucks!! read more

Burnt coffee. Microwaved eggs. Soft rolls they call bagels. They microwaved the roll too. Don't EVER microwave bread. Nice location.

A decent coffee place near school. There is a decent amount of seating, but it's all in rows which makes it uncomfortable. The coffee is pretty normal, nothing that bad or extraordinary. An okay place to go and meet up to do some homework. read more

Like yelpers said before, this place has lots of tables and natural lighting. The staff is also very friendly. I got the Thai iced coffee, which was delish! It's sweet, refreshing, and has that dose of caffeine. Cost was $4 for 16oz. I also got the breakfast sandwich with an egg, sun dried tomato, and spinach on a cheese bagel, and the cashier added sprouts :) cost was $5, and it hit the spot. Overall, I'd come back to study from time to time. read more

Royal Ground Coffee House - Breakfast sandwich with egg, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, and sprouts! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

I ordered the club sandwich & a white mocha via Uber eats today! The sandwich was so delicious and neatly made. And the espresso tasted amazing. So good! read more

Lookes like a family run coffee shop. Service is terrible here. And the Vietnamese Coffee isn't really a Vietnamese coffee. Got an extremely sweet (syrups overdose) iced coffee. Worst $5 ever paid. The place just has too many signs overall. Would not recommend read more

Let me tell you, whenever I'm homesick, a visit here always puts a smile on my face. The couple that run the shop are probably one of my favorite people ever! They always greet you with a big smile and enthusiasm even if it's a Monday morning. The food is perfect for breakfast and prepared quickly! If you're lucky, the owners will chat you up and ask about you while the other prepares your order. Relaxing atmosphere if you're on the go! The look like they have som seating now but limited capacity. I highly recommend this place! Seeing them smile is always worth it! read more

My current favorite coffee shop! The owners are super nice and it's got all the essentials: fast wifi (password changes daily so you have to ask), strong coffee, good food, and plenty of seating. My go-to order is an iced coffee w/ an extra espresso the #1 breakfast sandwich. Great place to study or just grab some breakfast in the morning. read more

What a great place to enjoy a delicious coffee and tasty food. This place is a great place to catch up with friends or to do some work!

Was just stopping by Downtown Berkeley for a meeting. Stopped in here for a coffee and I grabbed a cookie as well, waitress reminded me it was vegan and I said "of course! Berkeley!" Has a good laugh over that. But the reason I logged into Yelp and left this review for a random-ass coffee shop I do not frequent because it is so far away?!... This cup of coffee I got was so good I even told my wife "this is the greatest coffee I've even had!" No bitterness, just the best black (little cream) coffee I've ever had. Not sure their secret, I'm no coffee snob, I don't know the science of coffee. All I know is you gotta try it. I will seek it out next time I'm downtown. Anyways, amazing spot for coffee! read more

best breakfast sandwich in berkeley!! * fast wifi * friendly staff * strong coffee I usually get regular coffee but today I tried a vanilla latte and it was delicious! I also love how open the cafe is. Lots of tables to work and it doesn't feel cramped like a lot of cafes do. I would 10/10 recommend :) read more

Royal Ground Coffee House - #3 Bacon, Egg, Cheese and Sausage - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Good coffee, though some types of coffee are priced higher than at the nearby Peet's. Also, they have a lot of space outside to put tables and chairs in this Covid time, just like most other coffee shops in Berkeley do, but there is no outside seating. Adding it would go a long way. They have space for at least six socially distant outside tables. read more

I happened to stumble upon Royal Grounds while visiting my friends in Berkeley. Location - The atmosphere was very dark, with very little lighting just enough to see where everything was. I'm fine with the lighting being dimmed but what Royal ground's tried to do is a bit off. The exterior of the coffee house was made up of all glass and windows. So you could imagine the brightness and blinding sensation from the cars that happens to pass by after dark. Plus it's in the middle of a busy main road, so no help there. Inside the store there's plenty of room for big groups and they even have computers if you didn't bring your laptop. They do charge for usage so i advise you to bring your own. Coffee - I ordered a Cafe Au Lait. For you guys who don't know what that is, it's scalded milk and hot coffee blended to make the perfect mellow beverage. It's usually made with dark roasted French coffee so expect it to be a bit on the dark side. As for the milk, it should be scalded not steamed. So when i received my Cafe Au Lait it was a bit mediocre, again nothing special. The coffee could of been a little darker but leaned more towards the light side. There was very little flavoring so I wasn't impressed at all. Service - The service was okay, there was only one worker at the time so the service was a bit slow but not a problem. Overall i wasn't impress with this coffee shop but don't get me wrong, if you're there just to get a pick me up for mid terms then feel free to try it out. Other than that, you probably wont be seeing me here anytime soon. read more

Surprisingly decent coffee place. It was early and I was in much need of coffee while I waited for the opening of the anticipated breakfast at La Note just down the street. The place is quite spacious and appeared to be presentably well kept. Array of pastries and treats looked tempting however, I was saving myself for the french. I just wanted a small plain soy latte, but after looking at their selection of sugar free flavors, and noticing the pumpkin spice ( huge pumpkin fan no matter what time of the year), I decided to add the pumpkin to my latte. Their small lattes come with 2 shots. Gentleman helping me was extremely friendly. Took a few to make the latte, though it turned out to be surprisingly quite delish. Decent soy, good coffee and the pumpkin spice were a sure special kick. From what I experienced, decent coffee, fair prices, friendly service, tempting treats and a well kept, spacious environment. I would not go out of my way to come here, though I would certainly come back read more

I usually take my car to the dealer for service as soon as they open at 7:30 AM. I'm glad Royal Grounds is open early to provide me a coffee and a lox bagel with cream cheese, red onions and capers stacked to the heavens. It's good and they understand what I mean by lightly toasted. There's plenty of other bagel sandwiches to choose from and an assortment of beverages, hot and cold. They have quiches too but I haven't partook yet. There is plenty of seating and make sure you pay for parking. read more

See all

1.Got the morning paper 2.Went to the noisy and busy Royal Ground Coffee on Shattuck Ave. 3.Waited in the "long" line and got his usual $1.75 16 oz coffee 4.One sip of the coffee 5.Poured out the diluted and thin coffee in the sewer! (Yuck!) read more

He's only nice to you if you have money and spend it everyday.so if you buy coffee every morning and one morning you just need to go to the bathroom,you can't!!not a very nice business owner, treats homeless people who pay poorly read more

Not much to complain about. Royal Grounds won't surprise you with anything new, but won't dissapoint you either. Those big glass windows let a lot of good natural light in during the day, and at night you get to see the Shattuck bums arguing and fighting in all their glory. read more

You would think Berkeley would be crawling with coffee shops, but maybe that's just me missing the 90s. Royal Grounds is pretty much the only coffee shop that I've found down this end of Shattuck, so it's good that they make OK coffee and great pastries. Definitely good amount of seating, plug-ins, and Wifi. Like most coffee places they still don't see fit to put out soy with the creamers, but big pluses for the non-messy honey and simple syrup dispensers. I also like that they don't try to (illegally) charge you for paying for small purchases with a card. It's my pet peeve of small business everywhere! They would get another star if the coffee was better, but it passes the test. read more

It was afternoon. Late afternoon. The sun was getting it's last blast of heat in over the bleached city of Berkeley. A college town full of right-winger, tree-hugging hippies and starving artist bohos. I was out of place. I walked down Shattuck after my scrumptious lunch in search of something only a sweet could satisfy. I marched down the street, knowing a coffeehouse would boast something to fit the bill. I came to the corner, i looked to my right and there was the shining beacon of a cafe, the Royal Ground Coffee House. Dark interior, cool decor and an overall nonchalant mod feel, I walked in and took stock of their bakery goods at once. Oatmeal flapjacks, brownies, bagels - but I knew in my mind that I was after one thing, and one thing only; my Mister - the pecan. He was on display in bar form, wearing a coat of thick caramel chewy and soles of shortbread. I didn't hesitate to scoop him up. For good measure I ordered a black coffee to go, didn't want to appear desperado - and hurried away. Black coffee stood on it's own two feet, strong, dark and hot. Pecan knew that Coffee had nothing on him. He didn't even have to try, his toasted outer and sweet, chewy salty gorgeousness would always win over even the coldest heart. The waiter was a complete afterthought, once I had polished off Pecan - I noted he was friendly, fast and perhaps English? Who knows - who cares with Pecan in the room. read more

I have nothing but good things to say about this coffee house! After sifting through many of the reviews, I noticed that a lot of them were incredibly old, and a lot has changed since then. For one, their wifi is FREE and there is no time limit on the wifi. Although a bit slow, it definitely beats the wifi speed at Starbucks. The staff is incredibly friendly and when I request drinks that they are not used to making, they will make it for me anyway and check up on how I liked it. Once while studying, they even went around the cafe with free donuts for the people there! This is an optimal place to study - tables are roomy and there is a good amount of outlets around the area. They play music - mostly current hits (a plus!) but they don't blast it like other places so that I have to turn up my headphones all the way to zone it out. I've always been able to get a lot of studying done here. ANOTHER huge plus is that I don't come out reeking like roasting coffee... A smell that I actually hate because it clings onto your clothes and your hair.. and it is NOT pleasant. On to the drinks - I haven't tried any of their coffee drinks, but their thai tea is one of the best that I've had. There is a distinct tea flavor in their thai tea that is usually lost at other places - being watered down, or being more milk than tea. The one here is perfectly balanced and a good switch up from the usual cafe offerings. I typically get an iced green tea with a bit of peach syrup - and this is always made to my satisfaction. There is an assortment of pastries available as well. They are open fairly late for a coffee shop, and since this is just around the corner from my apartment, so I will definitely be making more trips here in the future. read more

WHY IS THE RATING SO LOW? I absolutely adore this place! I live right around the corner, and I come here all the time. Whether, it's for my morning coffee or to study, it's definitely a gem in Berkeley. They have a wide selection of teas, and their house coffee is pretty decent. However, their iced thai tea is very sweet, so I would avoid that. Their staff is very friendly and there are plenty of tables to sit. There aren't very many outlets, so be wary! I would pick this place over Starbucks any day. P.S. They revamped their breakfast and lunch menus, so there is quite a variety to choose what to eat! Definitely worth the try. read more

Four hour parking out front and plenty of seating! They also have wi-fi with a password which you can get after you place your order. I only visited the shop once and had a cup of their house coffee. The service was nice, and the lighting and environment were great for studying. There is a minimum for credit card purchases though so if you plan on spending less than $5, bring some cash. read more

Ugh... I know why they're busy, it's the free wi-fi! It definitely isn't the food or the drinks I can tell you that! We had some recently defrosted cheesecake, awfully dry bananabread and for drinks some very mediocre coffee (coffee house.. Really?) and the worst chai latte I have ever had. Definitely not going back. read more

This is my favorite coffee place in Berkeley! I come in here every day for my morning coffee and the owners are so friendly and always remember my order. The prices are on the higher side but worth it for the high quality coffee. If I could give 6 stars I would! read more

The seats were dirty and my clothes started to stick to the bench because it was so filthy. My iced mocha had way too much sweetness in it. When I asked if I could return the beverage because of the excessive sweetness, the manager said that she could add more milk or ice, but nothing else - that just dilutes the beverage completely. Avoid the mocha, and avoid sitting on the benches! Otherwise, it is a great place to do internet work, if you don't mind dirty table tops and seats. Eww. read more

If you find yourself walking by this place and in need of a coffee, keep walking, you'll thank me. I was killing an hour because I was waiting for my brunch reservation. I don't consider myself to be a complete coffee snob, but my almond latte was the worst I've ever had. I tried my best to drink it, couldn't, then tried to hand it off to my husband, but he didn't want to drink it either. The best way that I can describe it is that it taste like burnt water. The positive side to this review is that the location is great, very open, and plenty of seating. If the coffee was good I could see this being a really awesome place to come study. read more

Royal Ground Coffee House - My latte was not good :( - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

As an enviroment Royal Ground gets 4 stars, but for the café part it scores 2, so all in all it's a 3, pretty decent coffee house. The Good: *Tons of seating with ample room to spread out books * Wifi without a time limit, which is actually somewhat of a rarity in Berkeley * Plenty of outlets * Large selection of pastries The Bad: * Coffee is overpriced * My coffee was burned and tasted like dispenser coffee This is a good place to study, get work done or have a group meeting, but not a great place if you're here just for the coffee or for a small date or personal meeting. read more